Among the Nations

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Scripture
 
Psa. 108:0   A Song. A Psalm of David.
1     My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
        I will sing and make melody.
        Awake, my soul!
2     Awake, O harp and lyre!
        I will awake the dawn.
3     I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples,
        and I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4     For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens,
        and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Observation

Singing songs of praise includes spreading the good news of God among the surrounding nations. Never was the joy of this relationship meant to be kept to ourselves but to be shared with all those we may encounter. God’s steadfast love and faithfulness reaches beyond all human barriers or boundaries drawing all people through immeasurable grace.

Application
 
This morning I had the privilege of worshiping in English and in Spanish. Both experiences were wonderful as we spent time in genuine worship of our Lord. However, we worshipped in two separate rooms at the same time because each group was comfortable with the type of worship that was normative for their their culture. There is nothing wrong with this because it can create great freedom for worship. However, if we begin to think that one culture or the other is normative for all, we have a problem.

The kingdom is a beautiful patchwork quilt of God’s people from many tribes and nations who unite together in worship. That means that no one does it just right, and neither does anyone do it wrong. It’s just about pure worship of Jesus Christ.

The church in America needs to be prepared for the changes that lie ahead. Philip Jenkins tells us that the US will see the biggest demographic shift the world has ever seen in the next 30 years. That means that things will be changing in neighborhoods, but also in churches. Instead of seeing this as a threat, we can live into what God is doing and embrace our new friends who are arriving from around the world. The mission field is arriving at our doorsteps and suddenly it is even easier to sing praises to the Lord among the nations.

The beautiful patchwork of cultures will create a new picture of the church and worship. Instead of lamenting the past, it will be exciting to embrace a new and beautiful future where the steadfast love of God is reflected in ever broader hues. God’s love always and forever sung among the nations.

Prayer
 
Lord, thank you for the privilege of serving you in this time.  Amen.

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